Debi Walker explained detailed drawings she made for the sidewalk area in front of the brick building on North Prospect St. The concrete has been dug up and re-done to drain away from the building. In her plan, she allowed for a 3-foot strip adjacent to the building for café tables and chairs, if needed. Four tree pits which measure 3’ by 5’are based on the size used in a Baltimore model. The old soil was removed from the former tree pits and new topsoil was put in. It was suggested that extra nutrients could also be added. New trees will be eighteen feet apart and she feels should be columnar in shape. She advised us that a solid brick layer was discovered 24-30” deep in the pits, so that should be taken into consideration. Electrical boxes were put in each tree pit.

Additionally, she presented us with drawings she prepared for the area between the front steps of the village office and Reader’s Garden. These have been approved by Alison Terry. Damage from salt used in the winter has made it difficult for anything to do well in this area. Plans include a raised concrete area with a black decorative urn. Debi has offered to care for the plants used in the urn and surrounding area. In front of the village office window, at the western end of the ramp she has proposed another footer with flower pot/urn. This will break up the row of proposed boxwoods and provide much-needed color. Jim Siegel warned her that the lack of light reaching the long bed have kept other plantings from doing well there in the past.

Landscaping changes for the police parking lot are outlined in drawings done by John Klauder. The existing taxus bushes along the sidewalk are overgrown and need to be replaced with something shorter. Frits Rizor and Linda Reynolds will be consulted for suggestions.

Discussion followed concerning the uptown tree pits, grating systems, and Don Hostetter’s idea to defer foot traffic around the pits with bench placement. Debi monitors the furniture placement of tables and chairs in front of the restaurants and feels a furniture reconfiguration (including the green benches) on the north side of Broadway would benefit the need for an ample pedestrian pathway while allowing for seating.

A meeting was held July 30th with North Pearl Street residents, village council members, AEP representatives, and tree commission members to answer questions and concerns. An article in the August 7thSentinel quoted a mid-Sept start date for AEP to begin work. Don Hostetter advised that Terry Hopkins will revisit homeowners -probably with John Smith of AEP- in the near future.

Dan Bellman commented on our 2006 tree ordinances, specifically with regard to the rule of not planting a tree within thirty feet of an intersection. He feels this should be standardized as all corner curbs are curved differently. The measuring point could be from the center of the intersection. He also thinks this rule is not necessary for visibility at four-way-stops and could be a guideline, not a hard rule in many cases. He would also like to see an enlarged tree list for under power lines given the additional 13 feet of air space with the new lines that will be placed on North Pearl. Don Hostetter has already requested this from the ODNR.

Don Hostetter circulated copies of the letter he sent to Steve Stilwell June 11th concerning damage done to the West Broadway beds by large farm equipment. This included photos taken of tire tracks and offered possible options for resolution of the problem. In response, Steve Stilwell has written a memo to Phil Watts of the Granville Milling Company requesting communication between the agricultural community and the village to address this issue.